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Monday, 17 October 2011

A Fresh and Delicious Addition to the Seaside Town of Southport

Arriving on a grim October’s day, I really fancied some nice warm food. I’d heard about Finos at the Waterfront, a new Spanish restaurant in my home town of Southport, and had been waiting for my next opportunity to visit home and give it a try.

I’ve chosen this location to meet with a friend of mine to talk business, but also to catch up as we hadn’t seen each other for a while.

We were at the restaurant at 2.30pm on a cold and rainy Monday afternoon, so it’s no surprise that it wasn’t particularly busy. On entry, we are greeted by a smiley waitress and I’m quiet uplifted by the bold and bright decor. Our order of tea’s were quickly served providing the warmth ordered for this rather autumnal day.

The Food

The menu’s seemed to have a good choice. From a selection of tapas to paella dishes and grills. My friend and I quickly opted for the lunchtime deal - 3 tapas for £6.95. I felt the selection slightly limiting, but was quiet pleased with what came out.

Not too long after we ordered, a delight of colours and aromas were served in front of us. I’ll give an overview with mini descriptions if one is, like my uncultured friend, unfamiliar with Spanish lingo:

Yes, I did take the photo after we had eaten half already!

Albondigas - meatballs in tomato sauce (x2)
The meatballs were of a nice size, but in a very small dish. So we were glad we ordered two. They were meaty, juicy and delicious!

Crisp Calamari - fried squid served with alioli (garlic mayo)
I adore calamari, and have been disappointed so many times. This was not one of those times. Cooked perfectly and seasoned beautifully. The accompanying alioli was a wonderful subtle dip. Not too garlicky as with many I’ve tried before.

Chorizo - Spanish spiced pork sausage
I’m a big fan of good chorizo. Well, if only I managed to try some! My friend enjoyed it very much, however. It’s drizzled with orange blossom honey and thyme which sounds lovely to me.

Patatas Bravas - cubed roasted potatoes in tomato sauce
These were nice. Not the best I’ve had, but nicely cooked and the sauce was tasty. I like mine with a bit more kick.

Anchovies on Tomato Bread
The pile of anchovies were staring at me being placed on a slice of tomato bread on a bed of rocket drizzled with a wonderful mustard dressing. Oh my. This was my favourite dish and highly recommended. So full of flavour and textures - just divine!

I’d really recommend the anchovies and the calamari in particular. Delicious!

Service and Atmosphere

The waitresses were friendly and quickly served us drinks and food. They were quick to take away empty plates without being intrusive at all. Aside from the restaurant phone ringing without anyone to pick it up whilst an interview was taking place at the other end of the restaurant, the atmosphere was not bad at all. The decor is nice an bright - inviting and welcoming.

Location, location, location

Having walked past the restaurant a couple of days before dining there, it seemed like an odd location. I passed this area on the promenade a couple of days before when I was heading down to get to the cinema. The restaurant is positioned just before the pier at The Waterfront. What was this Waterfront? Obviously, I’m behind the Southport times. I’ve found that it’s a new development, directly linked with the Ramada Hotel next door. There is not a great deal of activity here, but is offering Southport a lot of new opportunities for businesses and once it’s a little more established, I think Fino’s will really thrive in this location.

The location is it’s only downfall at the moment as it’s a little away from the high street, but it’s not far to walk to - only 5 mins. It’s just not really on the way anywhere unless it’s a bright and sunny day in which case you might walk past it on the way to the pier.

Is it worth it?

I hear that business is not too bad considering the restaurant has only been open for a couple of months. Being fully booked on the weekends, it’s just the weekdays which are not consistent. I think this could be a really popular location for a business lunch, or a casual eat out on a lunch break. The service is so quick that you needn’t worry about being late for your afternoon shift! I can see this would be a great place for an evening too. I’d like to take my family there next time I’m in the area.

As long as people know about it, whether it’s through marketing and promotions or word of mouth, I think diners will be pleasantly surprised with the wonderful food and atmosphere. I feel that many restaurants in Southport have taken a turn for the worse, and this place offers a fresh and new injection of culinary delights to this seaside location. I shall certainly make a return and I hope to try something from the main menu next time!

2 comments:

Thank you for your very kind words and detailed blog. I agree with you that at the moment we are "a little stuck out on a limb" but we are hoping to be the catalyst that will spark like mind entrepreneurs to open a business in the development and help create a new dining circuit for Southport and it's surrounding areas

We have a blog finosatthewaterfront hosted by Wordpress, perhaps you might like to link the two blogs together ?Once again thanks and hope to see you soonRegardsBob Warrior